60 



SHRIKE. 



Inhabits Madagascar, China, and the Cape of Good Hope ; the 

 nest said to be built on trees, and the bird to feed chiefly on bees, of 

 which it only eats the bodies ; found in vast troops at certain seasons; 

 the male has a short song morning and evening. The natives call 

 this bird the Devil, probably from its colour ; Dr. Horsfield met with 

 it in Java, named Sri-Gunting. 



62— FORK-TAILED SHRIKE. 



Lanius caerulescens, Ind. Orn. i. 67. Lin. i. 134. Gm. Lin. i. 297. Shaw's Zool. vii. 291. 



bengal, cauda bifurca, Bris. ii. 189. Jd. 8vo.i. 210. Klein. Av. 54. Gerin. 



t. 57. 1. 

 Fingah, Buf. i. 108. Levail. Afr.iv. 68. pi. 170. 

 Drongo, Tern. Man. Ed. ii. Anal. p. lxi. 

 Fork-tailed Indian Butcher-Bird, Edw. pi. 56. 

 ■ Shrike, Gen. Syn. i. 158. 



SIZE of the Cinereous Shrike ; length seven inches and a half. 

 Bill bent, blackish brown ; at the base of the upper mandible several 

 black hairs, turning forwards ; plumage above glossy black, with a 

 tinge of blue in some lights, varying to green ; under parts of the 

 body white ; breast dark ash-colour, inclining to black ; greater quills 

 and tail ferruginous black, the latter considerably forked, the outer 

 feathers largely marked with white at the ends ; in some specimens 

 the outer tail feathers are only spotted with dirty white at the ends ; 

 legs blackish. 



Inhabits Bengal, where it is called Fingah ; it has also obtained 

 the name of the King of the Crows, from its pursuing the latter from 

 place to place with great energy and noise, and pecking them on 

 the back till they fly off; the egg is one inch long, reddish white, 

 with small red spots, chiefly at the larger end. 



